Mainly rips from my old vinyl that - as far as I know - is not available on CD from legitimate sources. Also, the occasional rip from unavailable CDs.

(in case you didn't realise...) The Witchseason name as used here is not connected with, but is partly a homage to, Joe Boyd's Witchseason Productions, which was responsible for some of the best music to come out of the late 60s and early 70s

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Call Out The Instigators

Sorry it's so long between posts these days. It's partly because I'm working and partly because I'm running out of unreleased vinyl to rip.

I did a little experiment a while ago, one which showed I own more albums from 1972 than from any other year. As if to underline that, purely by chance, here are two albums I've had recent requests for, and both are from 1972. One I've not listened to for 20 years, probably, the other I've never played all the way through.

A few months ago I posted four tracks by Sandy Denny from the soundtrack to a rather dodgy soft-core 'adult' film from the mid-70s called 'Swedish Fly Girls'. I've now had a couple of requests for the whole album, so here you go.

I've no idea what it's like, I've only ever listened to the Sandy tracks (she sings Water Mother, What Will I Do With Tomorrow, Are the Judges Sane?, and I Need You). I've also listended to Beautiful People, but I'm quite a Melanie fan and would be amazed if it's her (even though she's credited with singing it). It *is* her song, though.

The other tracks are by Manfred Mann and/or Mose Henry (who he?), and almost all the backing tracks are by the Manfred Mann band.

Speedy Keen was Pete Townshend's chauffeur in the mid-60s, and was also a drummer and songwriter. Pete decided to bankroll and produce an album for him, and recruited Jimmy McCullough on guitar and Andy Newman on piano. With Pete playing bass (as 'Bijou Drains') they made an album, and released one track as a single. The result, Something In The Air by Thunderclap Newman, was one of the best - and most distinctive - English singles of the late 60s.

The band broke up, and Speedy made two solo albums. I haven't got the first one, but this is the second. You'll recognise the voice immediately (or at least you will if you're of that certain age)